How strong are the public high schools in Las Vegas?
With a fresh school year kicking off, we analyzed newly released data from Niche.com, which incorporates comprehensive report cards, rankings and reviews to help you choose the right school, to identify those schools that made the biggest strides last year, as well as those that top the city's best public high school rankings.
Rancho High School's overall rating improved the most among its peers in Las Vegas, rising from a B- to a B, according to data from Niche.
For the 2019-2020 school year, the school, located at 1900 Searles Ave., enrolls 3,230 students. Niche gave the school mixed grades: B on an A-D scale for academics, B- for administration and B for clubs and activities.
The overall ranking comes from Niche's proprietary algorithms. A school's ranking might change due to many factors, including the relative rankings of similar schools and whether a school gained or lost peers due to openings or closings. Other numbers come from current public data from the U.S. government.
Academically, 69% of Rancho High School's students scored proficient or above in math, and 74% did so in reading. That's compared to city averages of 61% in math and 55% in reading. The school's improved rating is notable since it serves a less-affluent population, with 76% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
It's not the only school that's climbed Niche's rankings this year. Palo Verde High School saw its overall rating jump from a B to a B+. The school is located at 333 S. Pavilion Center Drive and currently serves 3,157 students, of whom 51% identify as white and 22% identify as Hispanic.
Niche gave Palo Verde High School mixed grades: B on an A-D scale for academics, B- for administration and B- for clubs and activities. Its latest math proficiency was 76%, and reading proficiency was 73%.
Valley High School also saw improvement in its overall rating, from a C+ to a B-. The school is located at 2839 S. Burnham Ave. and has 2,895 students currently enrolled, of whom 68% identify as Hispanic and 13% identify as black.
Niche gave Valley High School mixed grades — C+ on an A-D scale for academics, C- for administration and B- for clubs and activities. The school's latest math proficiency was 59%, and reading proficiency was 60%. Valley High School also serves a less-affluent community, with 84% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
While some public high schools are moving up the ranks, others are consistently top-rated overall, including:
- Advanced Technologies Academy, with an overall rating of A+.
- Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, with an A rating overall.
- West Career & Technical Academy, rated A overall.
This story was created automatically using data from Niche.com, then reviewed by an editor before publication. Click here for more about how and why Hoodline is automating local news. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.
